When Kery Murakami proposed some answers, readers got squarely behind theory no. 1: Hippies don’t want to pay $40 to get in. And they’re not the only ones.

uh, sure: It wasn’t just the hippie dancers who took a look at the price and took a pass.

The Bumbershoot admission price has gone up more quickly the last five years than ever before.

One adult ticket purchased at the gate cost twice as much this weekend as it did in 2003 and four times as much as it did in 1987. That year, all you needed was 5 bucks – just $10.03 in today’s dollars.

Of course, good acts don’t come cheap. Back in the 1970s, when the festival was free, the largely regional performers rarely rivalled the prominence – or sticker price – of 2008 acts like Death Cab For Cutie and Beck.

It wasn’t until 1980 that the festival reached for the next level. Enlisting the help of production company One Reel – which is still with the festival today – they booked Emmylou Harris, Chuck Berry and Etta James, among others. And they charged $2.50 a head. (For more on Bumbershoot’s history, check out this historylink.org essay)

Here’s a look back at what one adult at the gate would cost you at Bumbershoot. What do you think – does the hike in price reflect a hike in value?